Drifting Apart
by 1truelove
Summary: When Lois finally gets the chance to look back, she may realize that she left behind a part of herself. When she’s called back home after a mysterious accident she and Clark stumble into the lives of those she left behind years ago. Childhood friendships
1. Nexus

**Title: Drifting Apart  
Author: 1truelove/mizhellfire  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Really, nothing.  
Spoilers: None. This story is a alternate SV. It is sort of a 'what if Lois' childhood was different?' type premise. It is as if SVLois had the childhood of the Lois from LnC. So, her mother is still alive and her father is a workaholic doctor.**

_A/N: This story has been in the works for months now. It has been rewritten so many times. I've had to change character names, timelines, and pretty much everything else that I had originally planned on having in this fic. I can't believe that one page of dialogue sparked the fire that became this story. This is a new approach for me. This fic is very centered around Lois' life (but of course there will be clois). The whole chapter 1 is a giant flashback/memory. It takes place eight years prior to when the actual story will take place. The present day time in this fic is around 2010 so the flashback stretches back into 2002. Chapter one may seem like a whole story on it's own (it is definitely long enough to be it's own story), but the end of the first chapter is just the beginning what will likely be a wild ride. Also I sending a shout out to Barbara, Sep and Trixie who have been ever so helpful in working through this chapter. It has been an interesting journey. Please feel free to ask any questions. Tell me what you think._

**Drifting Apart**

**Chapter 1: Nexus**

_"No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever."  
- Francois Mocuriac _

_8 Years Ago_

It was very unusual for people to hang around the old Milton warehouse. The Milton warehouse had been abandoned for many years now, and was boarded up to prevent intruders from getting inside and causing trouble. This however, did not deter four young individuals who had made their way onto the grounds.

Cold air blew against them as two young girls darted across the overgrown grass in front of the old building to the door where the other two were waiting in the shadows. The midnight moon shone brightly in the sky illuminating the surrounding area. The girls ducked secretively into the shadows with the others to avoid detection.

"I thought I told you to come alone," whispered one of the girls sternly to the two that had just arrived. She was dressed in a baggy black sweat suit that seemed to drape over her skinny frame like a blanket. She also wore black sneakers that were caked in mud from her trek to the warehouse and had her thick, long, brunette hair pulled up into a ponytail. The girl appeared to be no older than fifteen or sixteen, but had the presence and charisma of someone much older.

"It wasn't that easy," a girl dressed in similar black sweats with shoulder length blonde hair replied defensively. "We must have that whole twin mental link thing going on. She knew I was up to something and followed me when I snuck out." She gestured towards the girl who arrived with her, who indeed looked like her clone. The girls, also in their teens, were clearly twins. "What is _your_ excuse?" she asked pointing to the fourth girl who remained hidden in the shadows. "What's she doing here?"

"That isn't my fault," the brunette replied vehemently. "My dad was away on business and-"

"Yeah, right, business," the girl in the shadows laughed, earning herself a stern glare from the brunette that looked as if it was meant to kill. She immediately stared back down to the ground. She definitely was younger than the other girls. She seemed to be around ten or eleven.

"Shut up, Lucy. Do you want to get us caught?" the brunette with the ponytail snapped. Lucy remained staring at the ground, guilty wishing she had just kept her mouth shut. Lucy looked similar to the brunette, but lacked some of the fire that could be seen in the older girl's eyes. Lucy had short brunette hair that barely went past her ears, and accented her delicate facial features. She was about to whisper an apology when the older girl continued her explanation.

"As I was saying, my dad was away, and my mom was passed out on the sofa as usual with her half empty bottle of wine, or whatever it is this week, and wouldn't be aware of the rest of the world for hours. How was I supposed to know that this little night owl was just pretending to be asleep?"

The blonde just snickered and smiled at Lucy. "Don't worry Lucy, your sister would have done the same thing if she was in your shoes. I don't know why she's complaining about it now. If I were her I would be happy that my little sister was smart like me."

The older brunette just rolled her eyes. "Laurie, if you were me, we wouldn't be out here in the middle of the night about to uncover the story that is going to rock the school. I have a suspicion that you wouldn't have been as observant as I was during that boring assembly the other day."

"Come on, Lo. You snuck out of that assembly and went snooping around the locker rooms. It doesn't require much skill to stumble upon a story you were looking for when no one else is around to stop you," Laurie replied with a smirk.

"That's beside the point. I cleverly uncovered the notes in the star quarterback's locker that linked him and half of the team to some very shady business. They've been coming here at night to buy steroids to use before the big games. This is the story of the year! Mrs. Fritz has been on me nonstop about getting a front page story for the paper. This is the chance I've been waiting for. I can finally make her notice me as a successful journalist," she replied confidently.

"Is this the same girl who, only months ago, was complaining about having to take journalism as an elective instead of Psychology 101? I thought you could care less about this class. Why the sudden change? I sense your competitive, perfectionist streak rearing its ugly head. You're lucky I actually _want_ to be a journalist and am equally excited about this story or I wouldn't be out here in the middle of the night freezing my butt off," Laurie responded in a similar confident tone.

"What about the part where you're my best friend and partner at the school newspaper and will back me up on whatever endeavor I set my sights on? I thought that might figure in somewhere, Laurie."

"Chill out Lo, you are my best friend. We promised to stick by each other no matter what way back in day care. I'm just trying to understand why you are throwing yourself into this so much."

"We have to uncover the truth. That is all I want to do. We're here to watch the football players get the steroids and get it all on camera. The video footage and the notes should be more than enough to get the story and stop them before they end up killing themselves. I wanted you to come here so I wouldn't have to do this alone. If you don't want to be here, fine. I was trying to be the good friend."

"You are. I'm here to help you get this story, expose the truth, and hopefully share the byline. I'm sorry I was giving you such a hard time. I've never snuck out of my house before and I never ever thought I'd be at the old Milton warehouse after midnight. I'm just scared," Laurie responded more timidly.

"Well don't worry. We'll be out of here in no time, back at home in our comfy beds, and tomorrow we will basking in the glory of having exposed those cheating creeps for what they really are. I knew there was no way that our football team could go from winning one game last season to being undefeated this season. Practice doesn't make you that perfect. Something had to be up," the brunette assured.

"Don't you think this is dangerous? Why don't we just go home and report them to the school tomorrow?" Laurie's twin finally spoke up in a soft yet concerned whisper.

"Robyn, don't be such a baby. We haven't gone this far to turn back now," Laurie snapped with new found determination.

"Besides, we need more proof and getting this on tape gets us our proof and a front page story in the process. It is a win-win situation," the brunette added.

"I don't know, guys. Something doesn't seem right about this. What if we get caught?" Robyn asked uncertainly as she shivered from a chill that traveled up her spine.

"Robyn, no one knows that we are out here. The football guys are going to show any minute now and we'll have our story. What could possibly go wrong?" the brunette replied confidently.

"Plenty," a deep, older voice responded casually. All four girls spun around to find themselves surrounded by eight members of the school's football team. Lucy yelped and backed farther into the corner while her sister stood protectively in front of her. Robyn gasped while glaring at the brunette and Laurie cowered behind Robyn looking desperately for a means of escape.

"What are four little girls doing all the way out here in the middle of the night with a video camera?" one of the football players asked tauntingly. He grabbed the video camera from the brunette's hands and laughed at her angered expression.

"I don't know, Karl," the quarterback, Ricky Stone replied menacingly. "What do you think?"

"I think they were trying to spy on us," Karl responded as he rolled up his sleeves and stepped closer to the girls.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about," the brunette spoke up with confidence. "We were here for our school science project. We needed to film different constellations at various points in the night sky. We thought the view here would be perfect. Why would we want to spy on you?" she asked innocently.

"So I guess it's just a coincidence that two of you are members of the school paper," the quarterback asked aloud as he leaned in and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her away from her friends.

The brunette reluctantly moved forward with him, gazing uncertainly back at the other three girls. She was trying desperately to connive their way out of what appeared to be a hazardous situation. She just hoped that they would be dumb enough to believe her.

"Yeah, just a coincidence," she replied convincingly.

"Why don't I believe you?" he growled as he tightened his grip on her shoulders. "I think you're lying. I hate when people lie to me."

She tried to remain defiant and not break her determined stance, but his grip was crushing her shoulders and he loomed over her menacingly. She winced slightly as she felt her shoulders begin to throb under his vice grip.

"Let her go!" Lucy yelled angrily from the corner.

"Make me," he snapped back at her as he increased his grip even more.

Pain flooded her entire body making her head feel as if it were about to explode. She grunted from the pain and tried to squirm away from the older and much stronger boy.

"Tie them up inside. No one is going to hear a word about the business that goes on here. You four picked a bad night to look at the stars," Ricky snarled as he led the reluctant brunette inside the abandoned warehouse.

Once the girls were securely chained to a thick metal pole the guys strode off to the opposite end of the warehouse to discuss what they were going to do with the pesky intruders. A stray beam of light from one of the warehouse's many broken windows shone brightly down upon the girls as they struggled against their chains.

"Great. This is just perfect!" Robyn hissed angrily at the hopelessness of their situation. "This can't possibly be happening. We're going to die and no one is going to know where to find us. These drugged up psychos are going to filet us like fish and there is nothing we can do to stop them. I can't believe you got us into this mess."

Lucy let out a small whimper and began to cry and shake uncontrollably. "I don't want to die," she cried pitifully.

"Breathe Robyn, or you're going to give yourself and my little sister a heart attack. We're going to get out of this perfectly safe. I just have to think a little," the brunette replied uneasily.

"Well, you'd better think pretty quickly. I don't even want to know what they are going to do with that shovel they're pointing at," Robyn answered sternly.

The brunette glanced over at the older boys who were indeed pointing at a rust-covered shovel. She let out a groan, realizing that Robyn was probably justified in her concerns. However she was determined to get the story and began nonchalantly trying to get at something in her back pocket. She slipped her hand under the chain that tightly surrounded the abdomens of all four girls and winced as it dug down against her skin, drawing blood. Using the tips of her fingers, she reached into the back pocket and pulled out a small black box. She quickly pulled her hand out from the chain and hid the box between her legs to prevent the guys from noticing it.

"You just had to be the big shot," Robyn started again angrily.

"Oh shut up, Robyn," the brunette sighed.

"No, you just had to impress everyone with getting the big story. You couldn't leave well enough alone."

"Shut up, Robyn!" both Laurie and the brunette snapped.

"I said I was sorry," the brunette said through gritted teeth.

"Sorry isn't going to be good enough unless we can make it home alive," Robyn countered.

"We will, I've got a plan," the brunette smiled.

"Oh, do you now?" Robyn challenged.

In hushed whispers, the brunette explained her plan to the other three girls. She gestured towards the hidden black box, and back towards the guys. Once she finished, the other girls looked at her warily.

"You're crazy. It's never going to work," Robyn spoke doubtingly.

"I may be crazy, but it looks like this is our only option."

"Better you than me," Robyn agreed.

"Wow, thanks for your intense concern," the brunette laughed sarcastically. "As soon as I leave, you two get ready," she said talking to Robyn and Laurie while secretly slipping the black box into Laurie's hand.

"Sure thing," they both replied.

"Lucy, you stay in the bathroom until we come for you. Do you understand?" she looked sternly at her sister.

"Yeah, whatever. I just don't understand why I can't help," Lucy asked disappointed.

"You're my responsibility. I can't let you get hurt or I'll be even more of a disappointment to dad. The last thing I need is another lecture."

"So are we ready?" Laurie asked eagerly.

"Let's do this," Robyn said, exasperated.

"Excuse me!" Lucy shouted in a shrill voice. "Hello!"

Lucy's yells got the attention of the football players and two walked up to the tied-up teenagers.

"What do you want?" Karl snapped.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Lucy said insistently.

"Hold it," the other football player ordered and began to walk away.

"I can't," Lucy whined. "I have to go!"

Karl glared at the girls and sauntered over to Ricky and between a whispered debate, he gestured towards Lucy. Ricky looked over and reluctantly agreed, then stormed off into a small back room.

Karl jogged back with three other football players and unlocked the chains, allowing Lucy to stand up. As soon as she got to her feet they went to lock the chains again.

"Wait," the brunette spoke sternly. "I want to talk to Ricky."

"Why would he want to talk to you?" Karl sneered.

"I have some information that he might find useful," the brunette said casually.

"What might that be?" Karl pressed.

"No, I want to tell it firsthand to Ricky,"

"Well, then, too bad," Karl responded and continued to lock the chains as Lucy was led to the dingy bathroom down the hall by two of the bigger football players.

"You let me talk to Ricky and I'll do a big favor for you," the brunette offered persuasively.

"What sort of favor?" Karl grinned mischievously raising an eyebrow.

"Get your mind out of the gutter. I have the ability to stop some reputation-damaging information from hitting the press. If you're willing to have the whole school know about your little escapade in the mountains with Marcia Volouff, its fine by me. Actually, I just think your girlfriend Karen might find it enlightening," the brunette smirked at Karl's stunned expression.

"How did you know about that?" Karl asked angrily.

"I know people, who know people, who also rent cabins in those mountains and happened to stumble upon you and Marcia going at it in the woods. I gave the report to one of my friends at the paper. I could have it 'misplaced' if you let me go over and talk to Ricky," the brunette proposed.

Karl gave her an uncertain look. "How do I know you won't go printing it anyway?"

"Karl, look at me. Does it look like I'm in the position to be deceiving you? I'm an honest girl. You help me, and I guarantee the reports end up in the shredder. Do we have a deal?"

Karl didn't answer, but proceeded in unlocking the chains, allowing the brunette to extricate herself from them. She stood up gracefully despite the uncomfortable position she had been in only moments before. With a quick smile she patted Karl on the shoulder confidently and began to walk over to the room where Ricky had entered to discuss his "business".

The remaining football players raced after her, while Karl locked up the remaining two teenagers. "You two stay put," Karl growled and went off after the other players.

As soon as Karl was out of sight, Laurie and Robyn exchanged urgent glances. Laurie shifted over to get a closer position to the lock that secured the chains. She opened up the black box that the brunette had handed her and stared at the various lock picks inside.

Robyn rolled her eyes. "I can't believe she carries a concealed lock pick kit around with her. Most teenage girls cannot leave home without their purses, but your best friend can't leave home without her lock picks. Don't you find that the slightest bit odd?"

Laurie ignored her sister and reached for the pick located on the far right, just as her friend instructed. She tried not to ponder too much about how the brunette knew exactly what pick worked on the lock. _Note to self, next weekend I'm taking her shopping. Journalism can wait for a day. I seriously need to get her out of the house. She has way too much time on her hands._

* * *

Lucy let herself be escorted back down the narrow hallway to the bathroom. The two burly football players shoved her toward the door and stood on each side of the door to prevent escape. "Make it quick," the first one growled as she entered the bathroom. The door closed behind her with an ear-piercing squeak and as soon as it was completely shut, she turned the lock. _No way in hell are those perverts going to get into this bathroom while I'm in here. _

Lucy took in her surroundings and approached the stalls. Each stall lacked a door and was covered in old graffiti. Two of the three had toilets were overflowing with dirty, brown water and the third was covered in toilet paper. Lucy grimaced and started to examine the walls. One solitary window was located above the toilet paper covered toilet and it might just be large enough for her to fit through. It was planned that she would try to escape through a window and wait for Laurie and Robyn to find her. She was told that if she couldn't find a window, she had to wait until Robyn and Laurie ran for help.

She took one last glance around the room and found what she had been searching for. Lucy wasn't the type that liked to take orders, especially from her older sister. She liked being in the action and this was the perfect way to get involved. She saw an air vent above the bathroom's only sink that looked more than large enough for her to pass through. _Perfect._ Lucy approached the sink and pulled herself into a standing position on top of it. One swift tug and the vent was off and the shaft was open. Lucy wouldn't sit idly by while her sister got all of the action. She was going to help and her sister would thank her for it later.

* * *

After working on the lock for just a few seconds, Laurie heard a satisfying click and it opened. She then skillfully lifted the lock off of the chains and slid out from underneath them. It felt good to be free, but she didn't want to make noise by dropping the chains to the concrete floor. Robyn then eased away from the chains and helped her sister bring them silently to the ground. So far their plan was working perfectly. They had managed to escape from the chains without drawing unnecessary attention to themselves. Now they needed to flee from the building and run around back to meet Lucy. Getting past the lookouts stationed around the warehouse was going to be a challenge.

As soon as they made it through the doors leading to the outside of the Milton Warehouse, Laurie and Robyn had to duck into the shadows behind a generator to avoid being discovered by one of the patrolling lookouts.

"We're going to get caught!" Robyn hissed to Laurie.

"Change of plans. I'll go find Lucy, you run for help," Laurie hissed back.

"What? I thought we were following your crazy friend's instructions. I'm not leaving you behind."

"Look at it this way. If you run for help, even if we get caught, someone will arrive to save us. I'm not letting Lo sacrifice herself for us. There's no chance that she's going to escape from that room. When they lead her away to be locked us with us and realize that we're gone, they'll kill her. It was a stupid plan. If you don't run for help we'll all get caught and no one will realize that we're gone until morning. Lo and Lucy's parents might not notice until even later than that. You have to get help now!" Laurie ordered.

"Laurie, I can't just leave you here. You're my sister."

"I'll be here when you get back. Now go!" Laurie whispered as she picked up a rock from the ground and whipped it far into the bushes at the left side of the warehouse. The lookout furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and strolled over to the bushes to see what the disturbance was. As soon as he was out of sight, Laurie shoved Robyn out into the open. "Go!" she gestured as Robyn glared back at her before running to the right up the path leading to the main road.

* * *

Karl and the other two football players entered the back room with the brunette and shoved her forward to acknowledge Ricky.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Ricky questioned in irritation as he looked up from the mahogany desk he was sitting at.

"What is _he_ doing here?" she countered back while pointing at a skinny man sitting in the right corner of the room with a briefcase.

The man raised his head to meet her confused gaze. "Ricky, why _is_ this young lady here?"

Ricky glared at Karl and his other teammates. "Wait outside and I'll deal with the three of you later."

Karl motioned to grab the brunette to take her with him, but Ricky interrupted. "Leave her with me."

Karl grumbled and followed the other guys out the door leaving Ricky, the brunette, and the thin man in the back room to discuss "business".

"Gene, what are you doing here?" she asked the thin man, trying to hide the fears she now had about the football player's steroid business. _Please let this be one big misunderstanding. Gene has worked with my father since I was in elementary school. He would never betray him._

"You shouldn't be here. Your father will be furious."

"I asked you a question, Gene. What the hell are you doing with these thugs? My father hired you to help work on the experimental steroids that were supposed to be used to promote cures for diseases. Please don't tell me that you've been selling them to my school football team."

"These athletes pay me far better than your father ever bothered to. These steroids not only fight illness, they greatly enhance physical ability without the nasty side effects of general steroids. Your father is a fool for keeping them a secret," Gene replied formally.

"I read my father's files. Those drugs haven't been completely tested yet. There could be side effects that you just haven't discovered yet. You could be throwing these teens into harm's way."

Ricky obviously didn't know that tidbit of information because his eyes filled with concern and he looked questioningly at Gene. "Mr. Williams, you said these drugs were perfectly safe."

"They _are_ perfectly safe Mr. Stone. I've tested them on myself several times already and I wouldn't be foolish enough to do that unless I had full confidence about their safety. Sam's daughter has no idea what she's talking about."

"Don't listen to him Ricky. Drugs like that could result in severe side effects years after you take them. He doesn't know what might happen. You could be poisoning yourself by taking them. It isn't worth the risk," she tried to persuade the quarterback.

"She knows nothing about these enhancers. She's an idiotic school girl. She's just trying to get herself out of a difficult situation," Gene replied smoothly, ignoring Ricky's look of apprehension. "She knows far too much now. I can't risk losing access to the drugs and if you let her leave this warehouse she'll go straight to her father. It'll be all over. We have to get rid of her."

* * *

Lucy hoisted herself up into the air vent and began her crawl through the ventilation system. The further she crawled, the darker and dirtier the passageway got. She could feel spider webs break across her face and things crawling in her short hair. The dust and dirt that accumulated from lack of use entered her lungs with every breath. Lucy was struggling against a giant sneeze when she heard distant voices. After crawling silently through the air shaft a few more feet she could hear the voices clearly. They belonged to her sister, Ricky Stone, and a third man whose voice sounded eerily familiar. Before she could listen further she felt the air shaft lurch and heard the thin metal creak loudly. Unable to stop the collapse, she braced herself for the fall to the ground.

* * *

Laurie continued to creep around the side of the warehouse. Occasionally the one lookout would venture close to her hiding place and she would have to remain completely silent and hidden to prevent exposure. As she approached the south end of the building she began to search for Lucy. Laurie could make out a window a few feet up in the air, but was unable to find her best friend's little sister anywhere.

"Lucy!" she called in a high whisper. She couldn't afford to be captured now. She needed to find Lucy and get her to safety so that she could then go back and find her friend. "Lucy, where are you?"

After several more minutes of searching, Laurie came to a frightening realization. _She's not coming. She went after her sister. We're in trouble now._ "Dammit, Lucy."

Just as Laurie was about to break into the bathroom window, she heard a crash and then voices coming from inside. She heard very angry male voices. _They must have broken down the door. They'll discover that she's gone and run to tell Ricky. I hope Robyn gets help quickly. We don't have much time left._

* * *

A sudden knock on the door made the three inhabitants of the back room jump in alarm. Karl's head popped into view and Ricky glared angrily.

"I don't care what you have to say, Karl. Stay out there until we are finished. No more interruptions!" Ricky yelled.

"Ricky, there's a situation and I figured--"

"You figured wrong," Ricky interrupted Karl. "Wait outside and I'll hear what you have to say when I'm done.

"But--"

"Go!"

The brunette hid a smile. She was so relieved that Ricky's agitation was buying her more time. Obviously Karl discovered that Laurie and Robyn had escaped. She just needed to keep Ricky and Gene busy just a little while longer and then they'd be far enough away.

"What do you want me to do with her?" Ricky asked.

"Kill her. I don't care what it takes. Make sure she won't be found."

"I can't kill her."

"You'll do as I say or you'll never get another dose of the enhancers. You'll go back to being another lousy football team and you can kiss your college scholarships goodbye. Your future shall disappear and you'll have to spend the rest of your life wondering what you could have been," Gene retorted.

Ricky eyes filled with uncertainty as he envisioned his future fading away. He could see the disappointment in everyone's eyes. This pig-headed girl stood in the way of his future. She could destroy everything he ever wanted. She had to be eliminated. His gaze hardened and he reached for the gun he kept in one of the desk drawers.

"I guess you won't be getting your story," Ricky said coldly, cocking the gun.

The brunette's eyes filled with fear as her mind raced to think of what to do. All she could hear was an odd creaking noise. _Is this what happens before you die? _

Her thoughts about her impending death were answered when suddenly debris from the ceiling rained down upon them and the back room filled with dust.

As the room began to clear, she could see Gene holding his hand over his face and searching through the rubble for his briefcase. Ricky lay unconscious on the floor. One thing that surprised her was the fourth figure that was now in the room. Lucy picked herself up from the floor and waved at her sister.

"Hi, Lo. Sorry about the entrance. You looked like you could've used some help."

* * *

Laurie continued to make her way around the warehouse to try and find some way to get to either Lucy or her sister. She couldn't find any back entrance and there was no way that she would be able to make it back into the building through the front entrance. Someone would know that she and Robyn had escaped by now.

Laurie found herself out in the open when her eyes drifted over to a parked SUV. It could make her life a million times easier. _This building is so old. I can hear what is going on through the walls. If I could use that to break down the wall I might be able to get them out of the building before we get captured. _

Laurie approached the vehicle rapidly. It looked as if it belonged to one of the football players. It was an elaborately designed SUV that looked sturdy enough to work for what Laurie had intended. _I sure hope I can remember how Lo hotwired that car last summer._

The sound of the footsteps of one of the lookouts crunching on fallen leaves made Laurie jump. She was out in the open with no means of escape. She would certainly be caught if she didn't think fast. She had to do something to save her friends.

* * *

Robyn raced down the dirt path until she came to the main road. Further up the road in the distance she could see a brightly lit house. She had to get there quickly. She had to call the police. Someone had to be home and hopefully they would let her use their phone to call for help. She ran as fast as her feet could carry her up to the house and knocked on the wooden front door.

"I need to use your phone. It's an emergency."

* * *

"Lucy, what the hell are you doing here? I told you to stay in the bathroom if there wasn't a window!"

"There was a window, but I saw the air vent and I figured I could help you out."

"You could've been killed!"

"You were about to be killed when I fell on this jock. I saved your butt. You should be thanking me!" Lucy retorted in offence.

Gene found his briefcase and turned to face the girls.

"Doesn't he work with Daddy?" Lucy asked in confusion.

Gene rounded on them angrily. "That was a huge mistake. You're not getting out of this room. I don't care if I have to kill you both myself. You should have minded your own business. You'll regret getting in my way." He bent down to search for the gun that Ricky had dropped when Lucy had fallen from the ceiling.

* * *

Laurie was surprised at her luck. The SUV had been left open and she now sat confidently behind the driver's seat. _Now all I have to do is get this stupid thing started. _

"How did Lo hotwire that car last year? What did she say I had to do to make it start?" Laurie muttered to herself.

_Robyn's right. Lo is too smart for her own good. I can't believe she knew how to hotwire a car? Now if I could only just remember what she did... I'll never get my license after this fiasco._

* * *

"Hello, I'm calling to report an incident at the old Milton Warehouse. I was down there with my sister and her friends and we were attacked by these football players. They were holding us captive but I was able to get away. I'm afraid of what's going to happen. They were acting like they were going to hurt us. They have some sort of steroid ring going on and they didn't want anyone talking about it. Please, we need help immediately. I don't think we have much time."

"Young lady, we don't appreciate prank calls. You could get into severe trouble by prank calling a police station. What is your name?" The operator's shrill, squeaky voice grated on Robyn's ears.

"My name is Robyn Hotchkiss. I'm fifteen years old and this is not a prank call. I swear. I need help right now."

* * *

Before they could begin to search for the fallen weapon, Gene raised the gun and pointed it at the two girls. "I'm not going to let you nosy girls destroy my success. I'm going to make millions off of these enhancing steroids. I'll get the patent and there is nothing your father will be able to do about it. I've worked on that project since its inception. I know everything there is to know about it. I'll finally get the notoriety I deserve for all of my work. I'm not about to lose it all because you happened to stumble upon my business. You won't be around to get in my way and your father will be too busy mourning the deaths of his little girls to even begin to care about his miracle drugs."

"My friends ran for help. The police will be here any second now. You won't get away with it," the brunette said confidently hoping in the back of her mind that Laurie and Robyn hadn't been caught.

"I'll be long gone before the police arrive and all that will be left are your bodies and Mr. Stone. I'll arrange the scene so it appears that you two fought bravely against the big, crazed football player, but he had the gun. He shoots the two of you, but before you die one of you manages to get the gun away from him. You manage to get off one shot into his chest before you die of blood loss. No one will know I was here. Neither of your little friends knows of my existence. I'll get away and the dumb jock will get the blame for your murders. I'll be able to convince the other football players to keep quiet by agreeing to continue supplying them with the steroids. It's all so simple."

"Laurie will figure it out. She'll know someone had to be supplying the steroids. She'll link it to you and they'll hunt you down," the brunette retorted in defiance.

"Then I'll kill her too. No one will get in my way. I always win."

Lucy shared a fearful glance with her older sister. This guy seemed to know what he was doing and it didn't look like they'd be able to escape.

Gene raised his gun and pointed it directly at Lucy.

"Don't! Shoot me instead," the older girl stepped in front of Lucy.

"How noble. You don't actually think that I'm going to grant you a final wish do you? I don't do charity especially for stupid little brats like you," Gene smirked as he prepared to shoot.

* * *

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. The sound of a gunshot radiated from the back room followed by the sound of a massive crash as the walls came tumbling down around them. Screams could be heard coming from all directions. Sirens filtered in to add to the din and the roar of a noisy engine made it even harder to make out what was happening.

"Laurie!" Robyn's voice screeched with urgency and worry as she emerged from a police car and raced toward the warehouse. "Laurie, where are you?"

Two police officers stormed the smoky warehouse to discover the source of the disturbance. When they discovered several football players struggling to flee the building they promptly called for backup. The further they went into the old building, the more chaotic it became. Smoke was poring out of one room and the young girl that was leading them to the scene darted away from them toward the door screaming to her sister.

They entered the back room prepared for anything but what they actually found. The entire back wall of the room had completely collapsed and an SUV now stood parked in its place. A male teenager lay unconscious on the floor under a pile of debris and an older, scrawnier man lay covered in blood next to him. A blonde teenager sat frozen in the vehicle looking completely horrorstruck. Two other girls were in a heap on the floor. One was clutching the other and crying uncontrollably.

"Lucy, breathe. I just got clipped. It's barely a scratch. I'll be fine. You have to calm down."

Robyn went running across the room and practically dragged her sister from the automobile. "What were you thinking? You could've gotten yourself and everyone else killed! You can't drive into walls without causing serious damage. Mom and Dad are going to kill us!"

"What the hell happened here?" one of the officers asked, completely dumbstruck.

The other officer scratched his head in confusion. "I hope that backup gets here soon. This is going to be difficult to explain."

* * *

One week later the four young girls reentered their school for the first time since the incident at the Milton Warehouse. Each had different expectations for what was going to happen that day.

Lucy went to the middle school only to be bombarded by swarms of her friends and students she had never even met before who just had to know what went on and how much of an involvement she had in it. Lucy was more than happy to tell every tiny detail from the moment she pretended to be asleep to follow her older sister, up to when she rode in the ambulance to get to the hospital. Each time Lucy told the story, her bravery increased and the number of angry football players doubled. People would be talking about her adventure for months and she insisted on making sure everyone knew exactly what happened.

Robyn showed up at school in her cheering uniform in the attempt to act normal as if nothing had happened. The whole squad surrounded her and asked rapid-fire questions about the football players involved and how she thought the team was going to do now that the star players were expelled.

Laurie entered the building and fought through the throngs of people until she reached the newspaper headquarters. She pulled open the door and was met with a handful of congratulations and high fives. The room was buzzing because the new edition had just been released. The door opened once again and Laurie smiled as her friend strode into the room oblivious to all the eyes being focused on her.

"Did you see the new edition yet?" Laurie asked casually.

"That's why I'm here," she replied cursorily.

"Feel free to gloat at any time now," Laurie laughed as she handed over the freshly printed paper. On the front page in giant bold letters a headline spelled out **'Midnight Mystery at Milton Warehouse.'**

A smile spread on Laurie's face as she saw her friend smirking at the byline. "I can't believe you put my name second. It's supposed to be alphabetical order," Laurie mocked being offended.

"Well, I was the one who got shot so I think I deserved preferential treatment. Besides I delivered the evidence that resulted in the arrest of the football players and Gene Williams. Not only do I not leave home without my lock picks, I _never_ go anywhere without a tape recorder. That tape had the whole confession and various incriminating tidbits that were enough to spell out everything that happened in that warehouse."

"I've been dying to ask where you got those lock picks in the first place. They aren't exactly must haves for daily life," Laurie looked at her curiously.

"Well, if you must know, my cousin got them for me for my birthday. Chloe just loves the idea that we both are interested in investigative journalism. I decided that it couldn't hurt to carry them with me. You never know what might happen."

"So, how does it feel being Little Miss Popularity all of a sudden? I'm enjoying the attention that I've been getting from some of those senior guys from our English class."

"Laurie, I never needed the popularity. I like the attention, but it will pass in a few days. I guarantee it. This will be at the back of everyone's minds in a couple of days and everything will go back to normal. You'll see."

"I highly doubt it. I heard that Nathaniel Andrews wants to ask you out on a date this weekend. Didn't you have a crush on him last year?" Laurie asked pointedly.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Oh, just around. Our article is the biggest thing that has happened to our school in decades. You even have fan mail. It overflowed three in-boxes already. This is going to be big," Laurie replied with a smile.

A timid voice barely caught their attention. "Uh, Mrs. Fritz wants to talk to you as soon as possible." Laurie rolled her eyes at Leo Westly as he tried to keep eye contact with her friend.

"Thanks, Leo. Can you print out the follow-up article I was working on for next week's edition? I haven't been able to get the format right and I wanted to check how the new style worked out."

Leo's eyes lit up and he rushed off to the nearest computer station to begin working on her request.

"You know he idolizes you, right?" Laurie asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Leo. He worships the ground you walk on. He's loved you since elementary school and you always act as though he doesn't exist," Laurie replied.

"I do not treat him like that, and Leo doesn't love me. At the most it is a little crush that will pass in a few months. He's a friend, nothing more."

"Don't let Leo hear that. It would likely destroy his will to live," Laurie laughed as they both entered Mrs. Fritz's office.

"There're the lovely star reporters that I've been hearing so much about." Mrs. Fritz spoke happily.

"You wanted to talk to Lo. I'll start working on the picture quality of the mug shots. Talk to you later Lo," Laurie said quickly as she exited the room.

"I see you've received your first reporting battle scars," Mrs. Fritz laughed while gesturing toward the bandage that still remained on the brunette's arm.

"It isn't a big deal. Gene had lousy aim and it barely hit me,"

"Well, your writing is a big deal. You have shown amazing talent in your article. We've been receiving amazing feedback. I'm very proud of your effort, even though you could have been a little more careful in getting the story," Mrs. Fritz hid an amused smile. "How do you like having your name on a front page byline?"

"It's been an amazing experience. My parents were angry about everything that happened but I think I heard my dad already talking about laminating the article."

"I know it is somewhat untraditional, usually our head reporters are seniors, but I was thinking about making an exception for you and Miss Hotchkiss. Would you be interested in becoming our newest and youngest head reporters? We've never even considered sophomores before so this is a major honor," Mrs. Fritz spoke formally.

"Of course! I'd love to be a head reporter. Thank you so much. This is so unexpected."

"Things will be fast paced, Lois. You'll have a hectic schedule to maintain."

"That's okay. I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to do well at this position. I won't disappoint you Mrs. Fritz. Laurie and I know what hard work it takes to meet the deadlines and get interesting stories. We'll work for as long as it takes to get everything done," Lois replied eagerly.

"That's good to here. I'm sure you'll exceed everyone's expectations. You have amazing talent."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Fritz."

"Welcome to the bullpen, Miss Lane."


	2. Moving On

_A/N: Let the drama begin. Please review!_

**Chapter 2: Moving On**

_"How long after you are gone will ripples remain as evidence that you were cast into the pool of life?"_

_Grant M. Bright_

**8 Years Later**

**Philadelphia, Pennsylvania**

"I'll be home any minute. I want you out by the time I get there. I won't let my life be disrupted any longer. I don't care how complicated you think this is. Uncomplicate it!" the young businesswoman spoke angrily into her cell phone as she entered the elevator. The elevator was empty except for a member of the custodial staff and as soon as they went down one level the uneasy janitor fled the elevator for a quieter ride down to the first floor.

The woman barely noticed the janitor's presence to begin with and therefore could care less about being a disturbance. She was in the middle of a major crisis and had no time to worry about the way other people perceived her.

"I'm not joking around. I know what you're up to and I won't tolerate it. You can't intimidate me into keeping my mouth shut. I have all the information needed to guarantee that you'll be locked up in prison for the rest of your life. I've given you plenty of chances to conform and you blew me off. I'm sick and tired of your games and I'm not letting you take advantage of people any longer. I've stopped letting myself care about how you've destroyed your life. I'm living my life and after I hand off this information to the police you'll never hear from me again. I can make myself disappear just as easily as you can," the woman continued to argue as she exited the elevator at the parking garage.

She listened in silence as she shuffled around in her purse in an attempt to find her car keys. Her eyes narrowed in frustration and her purse fell to the ground, spilling the contents onto the concrete floor. Her pocketbook opened and a pile of pictures fell out along with a crumpled and faded newspaper clipping. She drew her fingers through her long, wavy, blonde hair as she picked up the pictures. On the top of the pile was a laminated photo of a newborn baby, and beneath it was a picture of a young man and woman staring deeply into each other's eyes, completely lost in their love. She couldn't help but smile at the memories the washed over her.

Her eyes then fell upon the newspaper article that read **'Midnight Mystery at Milton Warehouse.'** The smile that brightened up her face moments before faded into a grim line of worry. Underneath the headline was a picture of four young girls standing in a line with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders. The memory would always stay with her. It was the day her life had abruptly changed. She sighed as she scooped up everything else that fell from the purse and dumped it carelessly back inside. She stood up, smoothed out her formal attire and continued her conversation.

"There's no way you can change your life around and start over. You lost that opportunity a long time ago. It isn't like you can snap your fingers and wipe the slate clean. Life doesn't work like that. You're going to have to deal with it," the blonde snapped into her cell.

She now had a firm grasp on her car keys and hit the unlock button as she approached. The person at the opposite end of the conversation shouted into the blonde's ear. The blonde's facial expressions hardened into rage.

"Don't you dare threaten me! You brought these problems onto yourself. I'm sorry this had to end up this way, but there's nothing left for me to do. I can't save you and I certainly won't lower myself to help you anymore. I shouldn't have ever gotten involved. It was trouble from the start."

She flung the door to her Mercedes open wide and threw her purse into the passenger seat. She sat down and brought her hand to her temple and massaged at the point of her forming headache. She just needed to get home and get this drama over with. It was causing her so much stress and she couldn't handle it any longer.

"Listen-- I have to go. I'm sorry about everything. I wish this could have worked out better for you, but I have bigger priorities and I can't help you through this any longer. I just stopped at the production agency and now I'm going to finish this once and for all."

The blonde checked her mirrors and sighed as she listened to resistance from the person on the other line.

"What does she have to do with any of this? I haven't talked to her in years. We've all moved on with our lives. She's living her dream. She's a journalist now and she's supposed to be pretty good. I'm not that surprised, though. She always had talent and an eye for trouble. If you even try to pull her into this, I'll tell her everything and she won't hesitate to publish every word of it."

She pulled her seatbelt on, and slid the key into the ignition and prepared to end the conversation. "I don't want to talk about this with you. You know childhood friendships never last. Things that happened to me in high school are so far behind me. I've made mistakes and now I've pulled myself back up to where I want to be. I have my whole life ahead of me and anything that happened back then will be nothing but a memory after today. "

"You have no idea what you have just done," a cold voice replied back to her through the cell phone. "I'm not ready to forget the past. You can't destroy my dream. I'll build a new life and there's nothing you can do to stop me. I'll have the life I should have had. I'll have a life without you in it." The line went dead.

She whipped her cell phone to the side and turned the ignition. The car's engine revved, the car doors locked. Her eyes widened in horror as she finally smelled the sickening odor of fuel. In a split second the car erupted into a blazing inferno and an explosion shook the foundation of the parking garage. Smoke clouded the air as car alarms echoed against concrete and urgent sirens approached the scene.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood, Smallville. I'm seriously starting to have second thoughts about taking you to meet my boss. I don't care if you already know him. I don't understand why you can't find work elsewhere. Just because Chloe is off on maternity leave, it doesn't mean that you can just pop back into town after traveling the world for the past three years and expect to take her place. The Daily Planet won't be able to handle both of us and I have been working here for over a year now. I don't intend on going anywhere." Lois Lane pushed ahead through the Daily Planet's glass doors, letting them slam into Clark Kent's face.

"Thanks for holding the door, Lois," Clark replied sarcastically.

"Don't expect kindness from me, Kent. I've worked my butt off to get where I am at now and you think you can just stroll in and get a job. No one's going to be holding doors open for you. Working here means kill or be killed," Lois said seriously as they both entered an elevator to go up to the newsroom.

"I'm sure I'll be able to handle myself, Lois. I've taken journalism classes during my travels, and I have some experience from high school. I'm willing to work my way into this position. Even if Perry isn't willing to hire me right away, I'll go out and wait for the right story and prove myself by writing a _Daily Planet_-worthy article."

"You're way out of your league, Smallville. Working with Chloe at the _Torch_ didn't give you much experience since basically everything you wrote about had something to do with those meteor freaks. No one takes that stuff seriously here. A story won't just fall into your lap. It takes more than a great story. You have to be willing to go all out to get the truth. It's our job to provide readers with the whole story. This is not the place for summaries and fluff pieces. Don't expect to just magically find a story, because chances are that I'll have already beaten you to it," Lois smirked.

"Well, it's good to know you're supportive," Clark retorted sarcastically.

"If I wasn't supportive of your foolish endeavor, I would have never arranged this interview. I'm just making sure that you are aware of how slim your chances are. Be realistic, Smallville."

Let's just get this over with. Perry's expecting us," Clark adjusted his tie as he prepared to enter the office of Perry White.

* * *

"I can't believe he even suggested this idea!" Lois stormed out of Perry's office with Clark trailing close behind her, wearing a disoriented expression. She stopped at her desk and spun around to confront him, unaware of just how close behind he was. Her facial features froze in a moment of shock as she found herself nose to nose with Clark Kent.

They both jumped back as if they had been burned. Lois' eyes filled with irritation as she continued to rant. "I can't believe Perry could even ask me to partner up with you. I work alone. I haven't had a partner since high school. This is pure idiocy!"

"I promise that I won't get in the way. I'll find my own stories. You won't even know I'm here." Clark stumbled and crashed into Chloe's abandoned desk and sent a picture of Lois sailing across the desk and onto the floor. Glass from the frame shattered and erupted everywhere. "Oops."

Lois placed her hand to her temple where a headache was forming. She lifted her gaze from the broken picture into Clark's deep eyes. "Listen, I can already see how this is going to turn out. If half of my desk is turned to rubble due to your clumsiness or if I have to make up for your slacking even once, I swear I'll make your life miserable. In this _partnership_ I'm in charge. You follow me around and take notes. Maybe you'll learn something. The sooner you write a story, the better. Once Perry sees that you can't work here, I'll be free of this punishment and things can go back to normal. Chloe will be back to reclaim her desk eventually and you can go back to the farm. Seeing you in something other than plaid is kind of creeping me out."

"I just think you're upset that I might actually be good at this. You don't want to have any competition. You're being hostile and abrasive because you refuse to admit that I might be a decent reporter," Clark looked at Lois knowingly, a smug grin plastered on his face. He sat down in Chloe's office chair, leaning back to enjoy his victory… when the back of the chair snapped and he went tumbling to the floor, sending more items from Chloe's desk into the air in disarray.

Lois rolled her eyes and sighed sadly. "Welcome to the bullpen, Smallville."

Clark sat in a momentary daze on the floor. He checked over his shoulder in hopes that no one else had seen his fall, but to his dismay several people were chuckling at their desks. "Do you mind giving me a hand?" Clark gestured toward the various items that had previously been arranged on Chloe's desk that were now scattered all over the floor.

"Remember what I said about how no one will be holding the doors for you here? The same rule applies for all office supplies," Lois smirked at Clark as he crawled on all fours, picking up paperclips and post-it notes. Just when Clark was about to rise from the floor, Lois decided to casually knock one of Chloe's pencils off of her desk.

Clark's shoulders stiffened and he muttered a curse under his breath.

"What's wrong, Clarkie? Is working at the Planet too tough for you?" Lois laughed as Clark glared back at her. "Just so you know, I think you'll have to pay for the chair as well."

Before she could continue with Clark's slow torture, the shrill ring of her phone made her jump in alarm. "Maybe this is the story we're searching for now," Lois laughed as she picked up the receiver. Clark pulled himself up from the floor as he watched Lois answer her call.

"Yes, this is her," Lois replied in a formal tone.

Her eyes furrowed in confusion for a brief second as the smile that was previously on her face disappeared instantly.

"What?" She felt her throat become dry as she continued to listen. "That's not possible."

"What's wrong?" Clark walked over to Lois and placed a hand on her shoulder. He could see deep emotion in her eyes. She looked like the world had just come crashing down around her.

The phone fell from Lois' hands and clattered to the floor. Her hands were shaking violently as she looked up at Clark with tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words escaped her trembling lips.

"Lois?"


	3. Breaking News

_A/N: Tell me what you think!_

**Chapter 3: Breaking News**

"_Side by side or miles apart, good friends are always close to the heart."  
-Unknown_

Silence enveloped the Daily Planet newsroom. Lois Lane sat frozen at her desk while Clark Kent hovered over her, deeply concerned.

"Lois?" Clark repeated, reassuringly touching her shoulder.

Lois remained emotionless for what seemed like an eternity before she became aware of the scene she had caused. She blinked repeatedly as if storing the information she had just processed into the back files of her memory and took a long deep breath. At that sign of movement, everyone else who had been transfixed with the scene exchanged glances of wonder before reluctantly wandering back to their assigned tasks. For them the drama was over and all that was left to do was gossip about what caused Lois Lane's moment of vulnerability. On any other day Lois would have been furious at herself for giving her coworkers an opportunity to analyze her, but today was different. Only one thought repeated over and over in Lois' mind like a mantra propelling her into action.

Lois voiced the thought aloud as she stood from her computer chair and adjusted her wrinkled clothing. "I have to go." In one smooth motion, she grabbed all of the documents from her desk and shoved them into her briefcase while also grabbing her coffee mug. She took one swift sip, grimaced from the cold stale taste, and turned to leave Clark behind in a whirlwind of confusion.

"What just happened?" Clark asked once he caught up with her fast pace at the elevator.

"I have to go now!" Lois replied with emphasis as she punched the button for the bottom floor.

"Care to tell me what that phone call was about?" Clark was beginning to regret not listening in on Lois' phone conversation. His strong resistance involving invading Lois' privacy was all that kept him from using his super-hearing to discover what had caused Lois' distress. He initially had thought that the phone call had to do with some breaking news story and he wanted to stick to his word and get the story on his own without using his abilities to take advantage of a story that was rightfully Lois'. Judging by her reaction, his initial assumption was false. The subject of the phone call was far from anything he had imagined.

"No."

"I really think you should," Clark pressed.

"I'd rather not," Lois replied sharply as the elevator came to a sudden halt at the ground level. As the doors opened, Lois darted out into the lobby and out the glass doors, once again letting them slam in Clark's face. Clark shook his head in frustration before pushing past the doors to continue the pursuit.

"I'm not going to give up that easily, Lois. Whatever just happened in that newsroom shook you up and I'm going to keep pestering you until you tell me what's wrong. I'm worried about you," Clark spoke with genuine concern as he followed Lois.

"It's nothing, Smallville. Just let it go. There's no need to worry about me. I just have to go," Lois's voice remained business-like and distant as she opened the door of her car.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to go to my apartment to get some essentials. I'm leaving town for a few days," Lois replied tersely as she got into the driver's seat and waited impatiently for him to let her close the door.

"I'm going with you," Clark said confidently and before Lois could react he had darted over to the opposite side of the car and was already sitting in the passenger's seat.

Lois shook her head in confusion. "What?"

"I'm coming with you," Clark repeated more slowly.

"No, you're not," Lois growled.

"Well, until you give me a justifiable reason to assure me that you are completely okay, I'm going to stay with you. That's what friends are for," Clark replied smugly while buckling his seat belt.

"Friends? Get that delusion out of your thick head. Clark, we were barely considered friends back in Smallville. Just when I was beginning to feel remotely friendly toward you, you disappeared. I didn't hear one word from you for three years. You show up at the hospital to see Chloe's baby a week ago and I let you spend the week at my apartment because you were too lazy to find one _before_ you moved here, and now suddenly we're close confidants? I was foolishly generous and helped you get an interview with Perry and now I'm stuck with a partner that I don't need. There is no friendship in this relationship," Lois snapped bitterly.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Lois. I always considered you a friend," Clark replied, hurt.

Lois' eyes softened for a moment as she sighed. She closed her car door and shoved her key into the ignition. Resting her head against the steering wheel she turned and looked at him pleadingly in desperation. "Please, just let me go."

"I'm sorry, Lois. I'm concerned about you and I'm not letting you leave without finding out what happened to make you freak out like that," Clark responded earnestly.

Lois glanced between Clark and the steering wheel, sighed in resignation, and started the car. "Fine," she replied indifferently.

As they pulled away from the Daily Planet and headed toward Lois' apartment, Clark examined her facial features closely. He could see a line of worry etched into her brow and her eyes seemed to be filled with repressed emotion. He could hear her elevated heart rate and ragged breathing. The tension flooding the small car was overwhelming. Lois' knuckles were white from her death-grip on the steering wheel and her eyes were focused in complete concentration on the road in front of her. She needed to get home quickly and anyone who stood in her way would be road-kill.

"Lois?" Clark asked tentatively after several minutes of silence. When he received no response he continued on. "I'm not trying to make you miserable. When you answered that phone call your mood went from carefree and casual to panicked and devastated. You were acting like someone died or something--" Clark's voice was cut off as Lois swerved the car into incoming traffic before pulling into a parking space in front of her apartment.

Car horns blazed in disapproval as angry drivers sped by while making various negative hand gestures toward Lois. Clark's eyes boggled as he gaped at Lois, waiting for some sort of an explanation. Lois merely turned the ignition off and unbuckled her seat belt before exiting the vehicle.

"You could've gotten the both of us killed!" Clark yelled, his voice filled with shock and anger.

"I was in a rush," Lois stated simply as she headed toward her apartment.

"I think our lives are a little more important than whatever you're rushing off to do. Lois, you're scaring me. Please tell me what's wrong," Clark begged as he caught up and spun her around to face him.

Lois struggled to free herself from his grasp, but her attempts were futile. Clark wasn't about to let her go anywhere further until he received answers. Her eyes filled with a flame of hatred before mellowing out into defeat. Her shoulders sagged and she bit her lip while thinking intently for an excuse.

"Clark, please. Not now. I have to go. I'll explain everything when I get back," Lois tried to convince him.

"I don't care where you're going. I'll call Perry and tell him that we're following a story, but I'm coming with you," Clark insisted.

Lois groaned in aggravation as Clark's grip on her lessened and she was able to pull away. She glared at him in disgust before setting off again for her apartment. As they entered the small apartment, Lois immediately stalked off toward her room. "I'm taking a shower, getting packed, and I'm leaving. If you're not ready then I'm leaving without you." Her bedroom door slammed, followed by the creak of her bathroom door and the sound of water running through the old metal pipes that snaked through the apartment's thin walls. Clark remained perplexed, but resigned to whatever obstacles fate would throw at him. Whatever had happened in the past thirty minutes was more than enough to tell Clark that he had a wild ride ahead of him.

Clark sped around the apartment, throwing some of his stray belongings back into the suitcase he had been living out of for the past week. As he finished, a sound pulled him out of his concentration and his super-speed slowed to a normal pace. At first he thought it was all in his head, but when he focused more closely he could hear something coming from the bathroom. At that moment, as Clark listened to the muffled cries coming from the shower, he knew that something horrible had happened. Lois never cried and if she was crying now, it had to be about whatever had happened in her brief phone conversation.

She was using the sounds of the shower to conceal her sobs of anguish, but Clark could feel her heart breaking. He was going to help her. He couldn't bear to hear her cry like that. Through his travels and his training with Jor-El, Clark couldn't help but constantly think of those he left behind. He carried the guilt over leaving suddenly without saying goodbye, especially over not saying goodbye to Lois.

He'd been called away with such short notice that he barely had time to leave a letter to his mother explaining what had happened. The story that everyone else had heard consisted of him having an epiphany and making a rash decision to travel the world to find himself. Martha had explained the situation to Chloe, but Clark figured that Lois was still pissed off at him for not saying goodbye. She would never admit it, but they had gotten quite close over the year before he left.

Clark resolved to make up for his past mistakes. He would be the friend that he couldn't be for the past three years. He would show her that he cared and that he was sorry. Whatever Lois was going through right now, he would help her pull through it. They were partners now, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

Before Lois emerged from the bathroom she doubled checked her reflection in the mirror to guarantee that any signs of her emotional breakdown in the shower had been washed away with the soapy water. After all signs of tear-stained cheeks and red, sorrow-filled eyes were concealed, Lois threw open the door and was ready to pack. She walked out of the bathroom with a white towel wrapped securely around her body and wet wisps of her dark hair hanging down in her face. As she entered her bedroom, she was surprised to find several suitcases already completely filled with her clothing. Lois' eyebrows furrowed in confusion until she noticed a note lying neatly on top of one of the suitcases.

_Lois,_

_I've seen you unpack these suitcases so many times while you were staying at the farm that I basically knew where everything went and I thought I'd give you a hand. Don't worry, I left the bras and underwear for you to pack. Although the black lacy bra in your top right drawer is rather appealing. Just keep it in mind. I still insist on coming with you, but I won't push you to tell me anything more than you feel comfortable revealing. I'm convinced that we're still friends, so I'm here for you if you need anything. _

_-Clark_

Lois smiled despite herself. _Leave it to Clark Kent to be gentlemanly enough to pack everything while I was in the shower, but still be willing to check out my bras and underwear. _She could hear a faint drone of the news station on the television in the living room so she assumed that he would be ready for any escape attempts on her part. She was stuck with him for now. It would take some getting used to, but maybe dealing with Clark wouldn't be as horrible as she initially imagined. She would just have to wait and find out.

As Lois finished packing the remnants of her clothing, Clark sat patiently watching the news in the living room. A breaking news report that flashed across the screen caught his attention. The screen panned out to reveal the Plessel Productions Office Building located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania surrounded by various police cars and ambulances. The camera zoomed in and followed a young anchorwoman standing inside the Plessel Productions parking garage.

"We have just been informed that the body of the woman killed in a deadly car explosion here early yesterday evening has been identified as being that of Laurie Hotchkiss, a popular news anchor for the Plessl Productions News Agency. Yesterday evening, police were called to the scene where Miss Hotchkiss' car had somehow erupted into flames, trapping the young woman inside. The body was barely recognizable, but was identified by the young woman's parents and through dental records late last night. Plessl Productions was unable to comment, but the police say that this is just a horrible accident involving a gas leak in the vehicle. Our sympathies go out to the Hotchkiss family in this sorrowful time. That's all I have for now. Stay tuned for further updates involving this tragic accident."

Clark shook his head sadly as the anchorwoman's voice faded away and the regular new broadcast continued. _That sounds awful. I remember watching Laurie's segments while I was traveling. I can't believe that such a vibrant person's life can be over just like that. _

A sharp intake of breath followed by the sound of glass shattering against the hardwood floor sent Clark dashing toward Lois' bedroom. He threw open the door to find Lois sitting amongst the glass shards on the floor clutching an old piece of newspaper, tears falling silently down her cheeks. She barely looked up as Clark approached and stepped over the broken glass. She was too busy staring intently at the picture of four young girls with arms wrapped around each other, centered in the middle of the old news article.

Clark knelt down beside her and gently caressed her shoulder. "Lois? Is it okay if I help you clean this up?" Clark asked reassuringly.

Lois nodded her head listlessly and continued to stare at the article.

As soon as Clark finished removing the glass away from Lois, he sat down behind her and pulled her into a warm embrace. Lois let herself fall back into his arms and rested her head against his chest.

"So, do you want to tell me what's wrong?" Clark asked while pulling a stray strand of hair out of her eyes.

Lois blinked slowly and shook her head.

Clark sighed and stared at the article Lois was holding. "What is it?"

"It's my first printed article. I wrote it with the only other partner that I've ever had," Lois replied softly.

"The one from high school?"

"Yeah. She was my best friend," Lois acknowledged.

"I'll help you get a new frame for it and it'll be as if nothing had happened," Clark tried to make her feel slightly better.

"Thanks," Lois replied halfheartedly.

"Can I read it?"

Lois shrugged and pulled herself closer to his chest. There was just some reassuring factor about being in his arms that made everything seem a lot less overwhelming. _This is nice. I feel different…safe. _

Clark gently pried the article from Lois' grasp and gazed over it intently. **'Midnight Mystery at Milton Warehouse.' **The article's title was printed in big bold letters at the top of the page. Clark looked beneath the heading and found the byline that Lois must have been so proud to achieve. _'By Lois Lane and Laurie Hotchkiss'_

Clark felt his own breath catch in his throat. He lowered his gaze from the page and stared directly into Lois' tear-filled eyes. The voice of the news anchorwoman echoed inside of his head. _'We have just been informed that the body of the woman killed in a deadly car explosion here early yesterday evening has been identified as being that of Laurie Hotchkiss, a popular news anchor for the Plessl Productions News Agency.'_

Everything fell into place as he read the name on that simple byline. Clark's eyes filled with understanding and he stared helplessly at Lois. "Oh, my God."


	4. Airborne

_A/N: Tell me what you think!_

**Chapter 4: Airborne**

_Lovers of air travel find it exhilarating to hang poised between the illusion of immortality and the fact of death. _

_-Alexander Chase, "Perspectives," 1966_

"Sorry about the short notice, Chlo. I just found out this afternoon and I needed to get there as quickly as possible. Laurie's funeral is being held tomorrow back in our old neighborhood. I really didn't have the time to make flight arrangements," Lois spoke to her cousin in a hollow voice that was completely devoid of emotion. Her eyes had lost all vibrancy and now stared out into the nothingness of space with dull indifference.

"Lois, it isn't a problem. The jet was just sitting there. No one was going to use it. Just make sure that it comes back in one piece and that you do what you need to do," Chloe Sullivan reassured her cousin through her cell phone.

Lois and Clark now sat comfortably heading towards their destination thousands of miles in the air. Clark relaxed in the plush seat, his fear of flying abandoned almost two years ago during his training with Jor-El. Next to him, Lois was a neurotic mess. After they left the safety of Lois' bedroom floor her resolve refortified and all emotion was completely gone. They had gathered the packed suitcases and Lois made one frantic phone call to her cousin who had been slightly preoccupied with her wailing newborn. Chloe had pulled a few strings and within minutes a limo had arrived to drive them to a private strip of land where a large jet sat awaiting their arrival.

"Well, it made things much easier for me. Make sure you give my goddaughter a kiss from me and tell Bruce that I greatly appreciate the opportunity to use one of his private jets. Your hubby is really coming in handy lately. First it was the skydiving, and then he gets us both those tickets for the spa weekends, now he's lending me the private jet. You make sure you keep that one, Chlo." Lois' attempts at keeping the conversation lighthearted failed to ease Chloe's concern.

"Don't worry about that, Lois. He has been hovering around me like a shadow ever since Cassie and I arrived home from the hospital. Anything I need he gets before I even begin to ask for it. He's always the first one up when Cassie begins to fuss and he continues to come up with new, creative ways to spend more time home with me. If he could take paternity leave from his Batman duties I swear he would."

Lois rolled her eyes thinking back to the happier times that existed only days before. She had intended to make a quick visit to see how Chloe was dealing with the hospital accommodations and found Bruce sharing the bed with Chloe. He was speaking in a high-pitched baby voice to little Cassandra while Chloe looked on in amusement. She had to admit that they made the perfect family. She found herself watching the scene in silence, wondering if she would ever have such a family dynamic.

Her moment of longing was disrupted when Clark swung the door open, sending it crashing into her back, revealing her presence to the rest of the room. Bruce had acted as if nothing had happened and Lois just glared at Clark for ruining the family's moment of bliss. The addition of little Cassandra to the world had made life seem much more bright and promising for Lois, even if it had brought Clark Kent back into the picture. Until the current day's phone call Lois had been quite content with the way her life had turned out. She didn't have a difficult existence, and she didn't have many regrets. Only one stood out in the far recesses of her memory and it was a regret that the phone call had brought back to life long after she believed it had been erased from memory.

"Lois?" Chloe's questioning voice brought Lois back to reality. She had been so completely enveloped in her thoughts that she forgot that Chloe was even addressing her.

"What did you say, Chlo?" Lois asked absently.

"You said earlier that Clark was with you. Can I talk to him?" Chloe answered in a slightly louder tone to guarantee that her cousin could hear her request.

"Oh, sure," Lois replied softly as she pushed the cell phone in Clark's direction.

Clark shrugged and took the phone from Lois' trembling hands. She had been in such a state of distress when he had comforted on her bedroom floor that her hands refused to cease their trembling, but now after the consumption of countless cups of coffee, her hands were shaking so rapidly that she spilled more coffee than she could drink.

"Chloe?"

"Are you sure she's okay, Clark?" Chloe asked as soon as she registered Clark's voice on the other line.

"I have no idea," Clark replied awkwardly, trying to keep his emotions hidden from Lois' interested gaze. She was trying to figure out exactly what was going on in the conversation. She was positive that Chloe was expressing deep concern towards her situation and was irritated that Clark was trying to disclose information that she was trying to keep a secret. She wanted to keep everyone, including Clark and Chloe, out of the loop. In the past she had spoken with Chloe about her friendship with Laurie Hotchkiss, but she kept most things vague. She knew that Chloe's natural curiosity and Clark's inability to mind his own business would create various obstacles as she tried to get through the next few days. Clark would press her for as much information as he could get about how she and Laurie knew each other and he would refuse to take no for an answer.

After a few more minutes Clark concluded his conversation with Chloe with even more uncertainty about what Lois' past might reveal. Chloe had always been close with her cousin, but there were certain gaps in Lois' life that remained a mystery to even her. Chloe had told Clark that Lois had met Laurie Hotchkiss as a young child and they had been the closest of friends. Chloe also told him that Lois refused to speak of Laurie ever since she first arrived in Smallville. It seemed like when Lois left to investigate Chloe's supposed death she left all traces of her former life behind as if it never existed.

Clark set the phone down on the opposite seat and turned to Lois. "So, we have an hour or two before we land. Do you feel like talking about it?"

"No," Lois responded swiftly while staring at her shaking hands.

"I know that you don't like sharing your emotions, but I think that it might be a good thing. I want to help you, Lois. I wouldn't be here if I didn't care about you," Clark said honestly.

Lois raised her stare from her hands into his questioning eyes. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. _He's never going to give up. _"Clark, I appreciate your concern. I know I'm not acting like it but it does mean a lot to me that you'd be willing to fly across the country just so I can deal with some foolish memories. I don't understand why my emotional duress matters to you, but it feels good to know that you care. Now you have to understand, I need to deal with this in my own way and I'm going to need to struggle through it without your help. I don't want to talk about her. I don't want to think about her. I just want to get this over with so I can move on. That's what we did. We moved on and I can't turn back now."

Clark's eyes filled with a mixture of wonder and understanding. Lois had lost Laurie a long time ago, and now she had to come to terms with the fact that she'd never get a second chance to connect with her friend. When Lois came into his life, she left Laurie's life forever and it was now all a matter of coming to terms with it. He still needed to understand the details of Lois' friendship with Laurie, but he knew the general plot. It was the same thing that happens to everyone. In search of finding a better future the past is left behind and by the time a longing for past securities resurfaces, it is long gone.

"Lois, you're going to need help. I know you don't want it, but I can see something in your eyes. Your eyes tell me that you'll need help to get through this. You don't want me here, but I'm going to stay and help you because I know that there is a chance that someday a part of you will thank me for staying. Even if it's only your eyes getting back their usual vibrant spark, I'll know that your eyes are thanking me for staying."

"Did you get that comment out of a Hallmark card or something? Stop pushing me. I don't want to talk about it and the more you pry, the more you make me not want to tell you. I can't fight you right now, Clark. Even with all of the coffee, I'm tired. I'm emotionally tired and if you keep pushing me I'll start talking and I won't be able to stop and I'll hate the both of us later," Lois gave Clark a pleading look before shifting again in her seat. She didn't want to talk anymore and she desperately hoped that her response would be enough to stifle Clark's questions. It wasn't.

Clark sighed sadly. "I really didn't want to have to do this, but Chloe told me that if all else failed, this was the only option. I don't want to hurt you anymore than you already are, but if you hold everything inside, you'll never be able to get over it. I'm sorry, Lois."

Lois' eyes became slightly more alert as she stared questioningly back at him, wondering what he was about to do next. "Whatever you think you're about to do, don't," she spoke sternly as she turned away from him and gazed longingly outside the window at the stormy weather that lay below the aircraft.

Clark grimaced, knowing that she was going to be even more irritated with him. That was the way their relationship had always worked. They shared the playful banter most of the time, but when one of them had a problem the other would have to push the right buttons in an effort to help. Even if annoyance was the only way to get Lois to spill her thoughts Clark was reluctantly ready to do whatever it takes.

Lois remained blind to Clark's brief internal debate and her stomach did an awkward flip-flop when she felt his warm breath very close to her ear. He had encroached on some very personal space and she tensed in preparation for whatever he was about to do to force her into talking.

Clark's voice started huskily in her ear at first but then turned back to a soft yet more normal tone. She couldn't make out exactly what he was saying but after listening more intently a frown formed across her weary features.

"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves. Everybody's nerves. Everybody's nerves. I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves and this is how it goes."

"That is not going to work," Lois growled.

"I'm Henry the Eighth I am. Henry the Eight I am, I am. I got married to the widow next door—"

Before Clark could utter another word of the horrendous song, Lois' hand collided forcefully against his cheek. His singing stopped in shock as he rubbed his cheek to keep up the appearance of pain, and stared back at Lois in surprise. Lois winced and shook her hand in the air from the force of the blow. She glared angrily at him for a moment before the hurt in his eyes made her annoyance falter. Her eyes softened and she turned back toward the window.

"Lois, I—"

"No, I shouldn't have…I didn't want to…I'm sorry," Lois' words tumbled from her mouth in broken increments.

"I want to help you."

"I know," Lois acknowledged, glancing back at him briefly.

Clark rested his hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be here for you no matter what."

Lois sighed in defeat. She knew from the start that he would somehow break down her defenses and get her to release her pained emotions. She stared sadly out the window and watched clouds that surrounded the plane. She could tell that they where just above a small rainstorm, and squinted to try and make out the ground below.

The clouds impeded her view but she could imagine walking below as the raindrops cascaded down her face and slipped down her cheeks. She imagined a scene she had been a part of many years ago. She was ready to speak. She was going to tell Clark the beginning of a story that they were about to try to finish. She would tell a chapter in the past that she still carried with her. "Laurie loved running through the rain. I miss her the most when it rains…"


End file.
